MBA Welcomes New Director of Environmental Planning Services
MBA is pleased to announce that Randy Chafin, AICP, has joined the firm’s Sacramento office as Director of Environmental Planning Services. Mr. Chafin has over 30 years of diverse public and private sector urban and environmental planning experience, including 24 years as a planning and environmental consultant. His expertise encompasses most aspects of the municipal planning process. He has worked extensively with other disciplines involved in the development process, including engineers, architects, environmental specialists, attorneys, landscape architects, and developers, and is well versed in California planning and environmental law. He has also worked for municipalities, consulting firms, and operated his own planning consulting practice.
Mr. Chafin is highly skilled at creating environmentally sustainable solutions for complex development projects through both project design and mitigation strategies. He was principal author of several large, mixed use specific plans, and contributing author of several area plans, general plans, and individual general plan elements. He has served as principal author and project manager for numerous environmental impact analyses, including EIRs, IS/MNDs, EAs, and mitigation monitoring programs.
As a result of his broad experience, understanding of municipal planning processes, and knowledge of other disciplines, Mr. Chafin has been retained as an extension of public agency staff and project manager for numerous complex, and sometimes controversial, projects. In this capacity, he has ensured that the work of all project team members is coordinated, that all required processes are followed, and that the requirements of all regulatory agencies are met.
Mr. Chafin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning from California Polytechnic University, Pomona. He is an active member of the American Planning Association, the American Institute of Certified Planners, the Association of Environmental Professionals, and the Urban Land Institute where he serves on the Institute's Sacramento Council Executive Committee.
Los Osos Wastewater Project Wins AEP Award of Merit
This year's Association of Environmental Professionals state conference was particularly eventful for MBA. Dr. Michael Brandman participated in a very lively Past President's panel, Air Quality expert, Vince Mirabella, MS, presented at the Climate Change and Air Quality seminar and workshop, and MBA was awarded the AEP's 2010 Award of Merit for the Los Osos Wastewater Facilities Project!
The Los Osos Wastewater Facilities Project involves a new in-town wastewater collection system, the transport of wastewater to a new treatment plant out of town, and the disposal system for treated effluent. MBA assisted the County and its consultants in providing alternative solutions to the water pollution problem through an alternatives screening analysis.
Criteria were developed to evaluate alternatives to determine which alternatives would be more fully evaluated in an EIR. Then, the EIR prepared for the Los Osos Wastewater Project included an evaluation of four separate projects that each consisted of collection, treatment, and disposal systems. Various technical studies were prepared to address potential impacts associated with a new wastewater system. These technical studies included groundwater quality and water supply, surface water quality and drainage, geology, biological resources, cultural resources, air quality and odors, climate change, and traffic.
Other issues that were addressed in detail in the EIR included land use, agricultural resources, public health and safety, visual resources, noise, environmental justice, and growth inducing. Evaluation of four separate alternative projects provided the County of San Luis Obispo options to solve the water pollution problem. The EIR established a pyramid of information, with a concise summary at its apex, descending through several layers of increasing technicality and depth of analysis, data, and background. Subsequent to public review of the Draft EIR, the County selected the Environmentally Superior Alternative as the Preferred Project by combining project components for wastewater collection, conveyance, treatment process and site selection, wet weather effluent storage, and effluent and biosolids disposal.
Dr. Michael Brandman proudly accepted the award on behalf of the firm and it's client, the County of San Luis Obispo.
Michael Brandman Associates Names New Principals
MBA is pleased to announce the following additions/elevations to our corporate Principalship program:
New Associates:
Frank Coyle, REA, Inland Empire and Coachella Valley Branch Manager
Scott Crawford, MA, Lead Biologist, Irvine
Michael Dice, MS, RPA, Senior Archaeologist, Inland Empire
Anne Viricel, PhD, Corporate Director of Client Services
Elevating from Associate Principal to Principal:
Ken Lord, PhD, Corporate Director of Natural and Cultural Resources
King Selected to Water Dream Team
MBA Vice President Jerry King was selected to be a part of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority's "Dream Team of Water Resource Managers without Boundaries." This all-star team of 10 water experts who will design "a comprehensive suite of multi-benefit, multi-purpose project concepts that, when implemented, will create a highly functional, successful, and sustainable Santa Ana River Watershed."
Holm Presents at "FutureBuild"
MBA Southern California Vice President and Director of Environmental Planning, Thomas F. Holm, AICP, was a featured presenter for a technical roundtable entitled, "Achieving the Mandates: AB32 & SB375," held at the ULI/LA “FutureBuild” Conference at the LA Convention Center in Fall, 2009.
King to Chair ULI Infrastructure Initiative Council
MBA Vice President Jerry King was selected by the Urban Land Institute to chair their new Infrastructure Initiative Council. The Council will provide opportunities for leadership and volunteer involvement in the ULI at the local level, by promoting excellence in programming and fostering a culture of openness and sharing of issues critical to the land use planning and real estate development industries. One of his first acts towards this goal was to facilitate the ULI's roundtable discussion, "Infrastructure: What's Needed for California," which was held on October 21st. The panel included Marlon Boarnet from the University of California at Irvine.
Our People are our Greatest Competitive Advantage
MBA recognizes that the greatest measure of our corporate success originates with the people who staff and lead the projects that our clients entrust to us. To that end, we wish to publicly acknowledge a number of recent positive events within our organization that involve our exemplary staff.
Brian Sweeney has joined MBA as our new Controller and brings over 20 years of experience in accounting with developers, general contractors. He will oversee our Finance and Human Resources departments.
Four new Branch Managers have been named:
Frank Coyle, REA will be leading our Inland Empire office. Frank joined MBA in August of 2008 as a senior project manager bringing over 19 years in urban and regional planning in both the private and public sectors. He has prepared and managed a wide variety of high-quality policy planning and environmental documents achieving an impressive record of accomplishment in successfully managing projects through the entitlement process. His thorough knowledge of CEQA and experience with the principles and practices of urban and regional planning, zoning and subdivision concepts makes him a leader in the industry and asset to the MBA team. Frank is also a member of the mayor of Redlands’ Taskforce on SB 375.
Trevor Macenski, MS, REA has been named the new Sacramento Branch Manager. Trevor joined MBA in early 2008 as a project manager and immediately became a driving force in the region helping to secure a number of significant local and state projects. Also highly involved in AEP, Trevor was recently elected Director of the Superior California Chapter of the Association of Environmental Professionals which encompasses the greater Sacramento valley.
Dave Mitchell, recently appointed the head of MBA’s Air Quality Team, has also been named Branch Manager for our Fresno office. A regional expert in dairy air quality research plans for the San Joaquin Valley, Dave possesses extensive experience in air quality analysis, CEQA lead agency and commenting functions, plan development, rule development, grant and incentive programs, and land use, transportation, air quality connections.
Industry Involvement in 2010
In addition to those identified above, MBA also wishes to recognize a number of our staff who have recently be elected or re-elected to leadership roles within industry-related professional organizations. Specifically:
President Michael Brandman, PhD was re-elected as Chapter Representative to the Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIA/SC) by the Association's Orange County Chapter and was re-elected to the Board of Directors of the BIA’s Riverside Chapter. Dr. Brandman has served on numerous professional and technical association boards for over three decades providing a consistent environmental perspective to development discussions.
Vice President Jerry A. King, MS represents MBA on a number of public and private associations. In 2010, he will hold positions on the boards of the Urban Land Institute (Vice Chairman, Infrastructure Council and a Member of the Orange County-Inland Empire Executive Committee); Nature Reserve of Orange County (Board Member and Land Manager Council); San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary (Board Member); California Water Political Action Committee (Vice-Chairman); Newport Bay Naturalist and Friends (Board Member); Bolsa Chica Conservancy Advisory Committee for the Harriet Wieder Park Interpretive Education and Resource Center; University of California Irvine Advisory Board for the Department of Planning Policy & Design; California State University of Fullerton Technical Advisory Committee, Center of Demographic Research; U.S. Green Building Council: Pacific Region Committee, Water Task Force Orange County; Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority: One Water/One Watershed, Water Quality Improvement Committee; University of California Irvine: Program Development, Urban Water Research Center; Chapman University (Lecturer, Watershed Certificate Program); and Orange County Natural History Museum (President Emeritus, President, Board of Trustees).
Consulting Water Resources Manager, Gene Talmadge, MUP, was elected as President of the California Association of Environmental Professionals for 2010.
Anne L. Viricel, PhD, Director of Client Services, was elected as State of California President of Professional Women in Building, re-affirmed as Vice President of Councils for the Building Industry Association of Southern California, elected as Vice President of Education for the Baldy View Chapter of the Building Industry Association, and elected as President of the Business Development Association of the Inland Empire.
MBA Wins National Association of Homebuilders Award
The Sunrise Senior Living Project in Monterey was the recipient of the NAHB's Best of 50+ Housing Awards "Best Assisted Living Community." MBA was the consulting archaeologist for the project which consists of 99 residential units and was constructed by the Arbor Building Group, Inc., based in Lafayette, California.
MBA Honored at 2009 AEP Conference
MBA’s West Sacramento Port Program Environmental Impact Report was selected for the Association of Environmental Professionals' 2009 Merit Award for Environmental Documents prepared for Jurisdictions with populations of over 50,000. Read more about the Sacramento Terminal project.
University Hills Project Receives 2009 EBJ Business Achievement Award
MBA has been awarded the Environmental Business Journal’s 2009 “Project Merit Award for Sustainability and Resource Protection.” The selected project was the 404.3-acre University Hills residential development project located at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). This outstanding project moved development (less than 21% of total acreage) out of sensitive upland areas and clustered higher-density housing on the flatter portions of the site. A major drainage feature was preserved in its entirety, and neighborhoods were designed to follow contour lines separated by open space areas with bio-swales for water quality protection. Common buildings will apply for LEED certification. In addition, the design designates approximately 235 acres of open space as a permanent land laboratory for the university. Finally, the design includes a very detailed fuel modification plan to protect against future wildfires.
"When we started into this project, I think we all had a bit of the fear of the unknown...what were we going to do with this weedpatch? Kudos to the EIR consultant and their entire team. Every time we had a concern, every time we had a problem, they were there to solve it or address it. Like the concern of Eastvale residents on lights and noise, they were there sharing our issues, sharing our concerns, coming up with creative measures to minimize every impact... Thank you (MBA) for a job well done, we are just delighted with the outcome!"
Mayor Kathy Azevedo, City of Norco
Regarding the Silverlakes Equestrian and Sports Park Project
"I just want to thank you and your team for the great environmental document that was prepared for our project. The firm of Michael Brandman Associates was very professional in every aspect of consultant services to the project and the City of San Ramon. You were always available when called upon and never 'nickel and dimed' us when we needed a quick answer on something. I know the staff and the Planning Commission was very pleased with the document in terms of its comprehensiveness and readability. For sure, your firm will be called upon to work on future significant planning projects in the city."
Phil Wong, Planning and Community Development Department Director, City of San Ramon
"As the senior planner and contract manager [for The City of Santa Rosa, Department of Community Development], I can enthusiastically recommend [MBA] as being most professional and knowledgeable in the laws and practices of the California Environmental Quality Act and Guidelines. ...I appreciate the thoroughness, accuracy and responsiveness of this firm. I can say that [these] factors contributed to a smooth process and made my job refreshingly easy. "
Marie Meredith
Senior Planner, City of Santa Rosa, Department of Community Development
